Lord Father
by GlassArmour
Summary: In the wake of a dead world, Naruto finds himself with nothing but power and time. He breaks through barriers no one knew existed and becomes a higher-level being. He becomes a god. Recreating life and living peacefully is enough for him, yet it's of course bound to go awry. What happens when he has to deal with his creations - not as their superior but as their peer? Genfic.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**I'm going to have two "Introduction-type" chapters. The story will change drastically from Ch. 1 to 2, and once more from 2 to 3 - from 3+ it will hold steady.**

**I'll be taking a lot of liberties with the mythologies, if you're a nutter this ain't for you.**

**Inspired by "The Anvil", by author PlaguedAmbition, I highly recommend it (though sadly it's discontinued). The story "Goddamnit! I'm God, Damnit!", by Thewackness135, deserves some credit as well (and my recommendation). I'm also taking inspiration from a book and a webnovel, both secret - try to guess which ones!**

* * *

"_The world was young, the mountains green,  
__No stain yet on the Moon was seen,  
__No words were laid on stream or stone,  
__When God woke and walked alone."_ \- Heavenly Record of Origins 1:1.

Death had claimed his friends eons ago, he alone remained. He had risen beyond trifling matters such as aging. He had, against all odds, become a god. No, he had become The God.

It took a long time for him to reach this peak of power. He had to make many sacrifices along the way, and so did others. During the Final Shinobi War, the greatest sacrifice of them all came to pass when all mortal beings perished. Fish, birds and men were all wiped out because of the madness of a godess.

Kaguya's power was too great to defeat without unacceptable collateral damage, so the Shinobi Alliance and their allies were unable to win a decisive victory against her. Ultimately, she decided that if humanity was going to be stuck in a bloody cycle of hatred forever, and were unwilling to cooperate with her infinite Tsukuyomi, then in the long run less blood would be spilled if she put a stop to all life now.

With her powers running rampant across the world, it was thrown into chaos. Mountains crumbled, civilisations disappeared, entire landscapes were made into barren wastelands. With nothing left to lose, Naruto Uzumaki, set about killing her with the aid of his fellow inheritor of the great Sage of the Six Path's legacy, Sasuke Uchiha. After many days and many nights worth of figthing, he managed to complete his self-given mission. Once the Goddess was destroyed, along with the rest of the world in the aftermath of the battle, the soon-to-be-god could focus on grieving and seeking greater understanding of his abilities and the nature of energy.

As his power and understanding grew, so did his vitality - giving him more time to train. Eventually, through a combination of overwhelming power and vitality, he was able to cast of his mortal shackles and ascend into true godhood.

* * *

"_The light of sun and star and moon  
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night  
There shone forever fair and bright. "_ \- Heavenly Record of Origins 1:2.

It was night all over the world, as if the sun had gone out. The moon was not reflecting any light, the only light on the sky was the dim shine from the stars. The world was a barren wasteland, the oceans had long since dried up and not even the most stalwart archaeologist would be able to find trace of the previous civilisations. It had been far too long since life had a place on this earth.

"Well, I'd be glad to change that. It would be nice to have some company" he spoke out loud, a habit he'd picked up during his years of solitude. It was nice to hear some sound, even if it was just his own voice. "Let's see, they will need a stable environment… air to breathe, water to drink, things to eat… animals, berries and such. Alright, how hard can it be?" smiling to himself as he turned to a deep gorge.

With an impressive display of his command of **Water Release**, or more so an impressive display of how much power he can cram into a technique, he set upon creating the new world's first ocean. Water flooded the wastelands, filling it with clear water at speeds that crumbled anything in its path. And so the first ocean was formed.

The dim light of the stars shone down on him, a reminder of the apocalyptic war that destroyed the world. His features hardened; he was fiercely determined to not start off the new world's life in darkness. He looked to the dead sun and reached into his power reserves, grabbed all he could handle and proceeded to release the greatest burst of power since the end of the Final Shinobi War:

"Let there be light."

* * *

The sun shone with a particular, but welcome, intensity today. Certain trees had been soaking in the great energy output of the young sun, changing them. Their leaves became a radiant gold, their bark hardened and they grew tall and fair to become the pride of the forests.

Having already created various animal species of all kinds, from the ones that will majestically rule the air to the ones that will merely hide in bogs, all animals he could remember from his time he had recreated. Beyond that he made some of his own, to fill up his new world a bit.

"Now, the new people.. Should they be like humans from my time or should I change them? Perhaps a bit less… bloodthirsty" He thought back to all the wars, how there would constantly be tension between all the nations, even the allied ones. Shinobi were definitely not ideal templates.

He thought back to how he had to win over all his friends - often involving some life-death situation. Even Iruka had to be won over through a battle and would not have anything to do with him before that incident. How most had been very distrusting of him, often outright disliking or hating him. It would be nice to be with, well, nice people. After a life of hardship that can't be an unreasonable wish. "A gentle and kind soul it will be" he said with a small smile as he slapped his two hands together, with a great golden light emanating from his palms.

**Creation of All Things** creates the body, the vessel, to hold the soul. Then he moulds the Yang part of his chakra and lets his power course through the previously dead, or rather unactivated, chakra system. The being, not quite human but similar in looks, after being touched by God's power started glowing a bright golden colour.

His eyes fluttered open, golden eyelashes no longer hiding the sapphire blue eyes beneath. He looked much like his creator. God stood above him with a wide smile, happy that his new friend is alive and well. This was his first time creating sentient life on this level, he had only messed around with animals previously.

As God stood there, softly smiling down on him, something seemed to click in the newest existence in the world, "Father?" He asked, the words rolling off the soft baritone came very unexpectedly for poor God. He jumped a bit, then quickly regained his bearings.

After a surprisingly short moment of thought on the matter, he replied "Yes," and smiled even more lovingly "I am your Father", the way a father smiles at his son. "Your name will be Michael. Bear your name with pride." He never had a chance at a family in the old world but in this new world things would be different.

"You will soon meet your brothers and sisters. None of them will be as strong as you, none of them will be as wise as you. You will be their leader, you will be their big brother. Do you understand, Michael?" The newly-made Angel said yes with a nod, "I would expect nothing less from my son. Especially if he's going to be my right-hand man!" God laid his hand on Michael's shoulder with a grin, causing Michael to smile back in a carefree manner.

As far as he knew, it was only him and his Father in the entire world. There was no such thing as wars and there never had been. Evil didn't exist because there were no people to carry out evil deeds, only innocent animals and his Father. These are the memories Michael treasures the most.

* * *

"_A king he was on carven throne  
In many-pillared halls of stone  
With golden roof and silver floor,  
And runes of power upon the door."_ \- Heavenly Record of Origins 1:3.

His new people needed quarters, and God wanted to provide. This new species of pseudo-humans, the angels, could start their own civilisation but he wanted to keep them close. He created a beautiful realm above ground, where they would be safe from all harm. It resides in the same dimension as earth, yet at the same time it doesn't. If you know how and where to look for it you will gain entry, otherwise it will remain hidden.

Michael fell into his role with extraordinary grace. He had been leading his fellow angels Gabriel, a ditzy but very kind woman, Azazel, an eccentric man but fiercely intelligent and helpful to his peers, and finally Lucifer, a passionate young man with great ambition.

Sometimes, not very often but it happened, God wished to spend some time alone and would retreat to his personal living space in Heaven, the top floor. Below it is where all the others would remain while he rested. Heaven currently has two floors: the top floor is used as God's personal quarters and the first is for everyone else.

Heaven was not only built by God, the angels gladly toiled as well. Everyone wanted to help build their new home. God had spent some time teaching what little he knew of architecture, masonry, metalwork and such to those few interested. Eventually their knowledge and skill came to far eclipse his, and as such Heaven became the most beautiful thing in all of existence. It was likely the most beautiful thing in all of the new and old world's history.

There were times his people wanted to do expeditions down to the surface, and sometimes Michael wished to ask for his guidance during what he regarded as emergencies, or when his children felt sad or angry they and sought his counsel; he was not always immediately present. To solve these issues and to be able to guide his children when they take to the surface God invented the system of praying. Everyone wins: he will always be connected to those he loves and those he loves can always reach him whenever and wherever they need to.

* * *

"_Unwearied then were God's folk;  
The angels harped, the minstrels sang,  
And at the gates the trumpets rang."_ \- Heavenly Record of Origins 1:4.

The realm of Heaven was fair, nothing on the surface could compete in terms of beauty. Heaven was also powerful and free of darkness, the mighty angels stood as the lone force in the world - with their Father leading them.

God created a new lifeform in the Gardens of Eden: mankind. His firstborn children fell in love with this creation more than any other, and God formally tasked them to serve and guide Men.

The first of mankind was named Adam, a man. He did not possess knowledge of any kind. He did not know why he carried out the actions he did, he was almost as much an animal driven by instinct as a dog, with only the barest amount of consciousness. The reason for this was simple: if given too much freedom darkness will take root. Not even his beloved children the angels had that freedom.

If not for a discussion with one of his more insightful sons, Lucifer, things would have stayed this way, but Lucifer saw a future in which Men were free to make their own choices.

* * *

Lucifer was kneeling before his father. The Archangel, one of the greatest in Heaven, was pleading the case for humanity's freedom "Please father, all my brothers and sisters love this creation of yours. I would not ask this of you if I thought it would bring humanity down a dark path, ultimately harming them." He looked his father in the eyes, blazing sapphire meeting a softly glowing blue that appeared to contain entire stars "I believe allowing Men to make their own decisions is for their own good!"

God thought about what had been said. It was true that in the Old World a man's freedom was valued beyond almost anything else. Yet… "If humanity is given the freedom to do as they please, they will inevitably perform deeds of great evil." When he spoke it was awe-inspiring as he spoke with many voices at once - the powerful sound echoed throughout the halls. A small frown settled on God's face as Lucifer kept his defiant stare "Do you truly understand what that means?"

"Freedom is worth any price." Came the dark and throaty reply, causing the frown on God's face to deepen. "There can not be good without evil. How can humanity be regarded as good if they have never felt the temptations of evil? Surely, father, you see that this is the only way." Gesticulating to emphasise the need of the contrast of 'evil' for there to be a 'good', he fell silent. Having made his case it was now up to his Father to decide.

Mulling over the words of his son for only an instant longer, before replacing his frown with a smile, he spoke "You are truly a brilliant son. I have sons and daughters who have surpassed me in: masonry, architecture, sewing, calligraphy, music, smithing, and the list goes on. But none of my many children have ever had the understanding, bravery, and love required to correct me when it comes to Creation - not even Michael." God walked up to Lucifer and helped him to his feet, pride twinkling clear as day in his eyes "It will be as you say: I shall make a tree whose fruit will contain a small amount of knowledge. Mankind will eat from this fruit and over time will become a fully sentient being."

Lucifer smiled a brilliant smile at his father "Thank you, I am certain my brothers and sisters will be most pleased as well."

"Speaking of them, let's go and visit the ones who just returned from the surface"

* * *

The Tree of Knowledge grew tall and proud in the Garden of Eden, bearing the fruit of many juicy apples. This very tree was known to the angels as the Forbidden Tree, as it bore forbidden fruit. It was only to be eaten by humans, so said God and his word was law.

God had forbidden angels from eating from the tree since it would give you knowledge indiscriminately of who you were. It could make an ant clever, if it managed to eat enough. The problem was their natural limitations. If angels wanted to ascend, to gain more sentience and become a greater being, they could indeed eat from the Forbidden Fruit - in doing so they would destroy parts of their very soul. If one tried to force an ascension it would result in the permanent corruption of their soul, hence the fruit was very strictly forbidden.

A bright light entered the garden, a pale hand grasped the Forbidden Fruit and a set of pearly whites sank their teeth into it. Chewing and swallowing, the radiant being felt the boundaries of his being, his mind and soul, expand; this is what he sought. True power, true freedom.

With an excited look he quickly moved on to another fruit, devouring it in much the same manner and receiving much the same effects. He would eat another, then another, then another… until finally the great tree was barren of any more fruit.

This would be the end of the fair and peaceful era of the angels - the birth of the First Evil.

* * *

Lucifer had set the realms ablaze with the flames of war. No one was expecting this, not even God. Few could fight back.

Lucifer had become something more than any of his brothers and was now on the edge of the divine. Already a powerful Archangel before his mad ascension, it would either take overwhelming force or a cunning plan to take him down

As if that wasn't bad enough, Lucifer had started kidnapping angels and corrupting them; he would twist their very nature of being until one could no longer call it an angel. They would be powerful, yes, but lose all sense of morals and purity. Apparently, they also reproduced like flies, something their leader encouraged so his army would grow.

This was the start of a great war, one the angels weren't equipped to fight. They weren't as savage and brutal as their opponents. They did not have much training when it came to war or even simple martial arts - and why should they? It was exceedingly rare for any fights to happen, and none of them had ever gotten either combatant killed.

The demons, as they had been named, were better suited for war. And every life taken was an immense loss to the closely-knit community of angels, and to their Father.

"We need to equip ourselves to deal with Lucifer's rebellion, he has already kidnapped hundreds of angels and converted them to his ways! Brothers and sisters, I know it's difficult to accept but that man is no longer one of us, he has abandoned us for some mad quest that - in the end - will kill or enslave us." Spoke Michael, the leader of his kind, to the small group of angels gathered for the meeting. It was a crisis-meeting, which was a first for Heaven, and so all the Archangels and gathered: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Raguel, Sariel, Remiel, Raziel, Uriel and Azazel.

The Seraphs were the ones granted the most power and so were angel's primary hope for ending the war quickly. Their misled - former - brother only had six generals with comparable power. The angels also had a far greater army right now, unprepared as they might be. Lucifer was outnumbered and outmatched. All of this was without taking God into account - with hm their victory is assured, right?

Smacked his fist against the table, gaining everyone's attention, one angel stood up from his previously seated position "Naturally this can not go on any longer. Lucifer has betrayed us. He has broken the rules of Heaven and Father. He has kidnapped and even killed our brethren!" His wings shone with a great light as his eyes scanned the members present "There is no excuse for what he has done. He must face justice - we must kill him!" Raguel was far more heated than Michael, being the Angel of Justice, but many angels felt like he did. Lucifer had indeed caused pain like no other being in history.

Sitting down after having said his piece, the Angel of Justice listened contentedly to the murmurs of agreement around the great gilded table. One stunningly beautiful woman rose from her seat, a sparkling iridescent light emanated from the halo above her head, in a way no other angel could duplicate. "Please, please, settle down. Lucifer has wronged us all greatly, and even taken some of our dearly beloved from us forever, but if there is even a slight chance that he can return to the fair and true man he once were… should we at least not consider it?" These were the calming words of the Archangel Uriel, Angel of Beauty and Light.

"Brothers and sisters, calm yourselves. Our sister speaks the truth. If we can help purge Lucifer of whatever madness has consumed him, then we have to do so. Lucifer one of the strongest Archangels in Heaven, there is no way he would fall like this! We can bring him back, I am sure of it! We have to do it and-!" Ramiel, the Archangel of Hope, was naturally not one to give up on one of his beloved so easily, unfortunately he was interrupted.

"I will deal with the monster myself." Sariel, the Angel of Death, was possibly the only other angel who wished to see Lucifer dead as much as Raguel. "For his crimes against our fellow brothers and sisters, against the still growing lifeform mankind, against Father, he has been sentenced to death." The death angel's hard blue eyes looked over the assembly, daring anyone to disagree.

A smile in place and a hand on his hip, yet another Archangel stood up. It was the Angel of Sacrifice, Azazel "I agree with Uriel and Ramiel. I truly loved the man Lucifer once was, as I know we all did. This is a very sensitive subject that we should approach with a bit more tact..." He gave a pointed look to Sariel as he said the last part, the Angel of Death simply stared right back with his unrelenting steely gaze "Anyway, Michael, I would like to request permission to leave the decision of this matter in yours and the rest of the Archangel's hands."

Everyone present was shocked at this, such a blatant act of abandoning one's duty had never been seen - and to do so now in the time of their greatest crisis to date! What was the man thinking?!

"Azazel, why would you ask this? You are an Archangel, your input could be invaluable. You are the most clever among us, there must be something behind this." Michael looked at Azazel pleadingly, asking him to explain.

No longer smiling, Azazel now sighed "Lucifer was like like us. He was a good man with a good soul. Something unknown happened that turned him evil - there could be a hundred reasons why but it's important we find out what." He pointed towards Michael and with sad eyes continued It's important because more angel's might be corrupted the same way he was… and Lucifer was not the strongest among us, you are, yet look at the grief he has caused." Grim expressions settled on everyone's visages as they realised what he was saying. If Lucifer's corruption happened by accident or unwillingly and the same thing happened to Michael… only Father would be able to stop him.

"Of course, please hurry, Azazel. This will be your highest priority, put everything else on hold. Whatever you need for your project you will get! Please get to work immediately." And with that, Azazel bowed and left, leaving the now very tense room and its occupants who all shared the same thought: "_What if more angels are turned? What if Michael is corrupted?"_

_What if I'm next?_

A light cough broke them out of the short period of silence. It was Archangel Raziel, Angel of Mysteries and the wisest among her kind "Father will ultimately decide the traitors fate. Before anyone leaves Heaven to smite Lucifer we should tell him our concerns regarding our former brother's sudden turn to evil. I trust we all agree Father will know what to do."

A beautiful blonde woman with her hands clasped together snapped open her eyes "Sister, I just spoke with Father… I told him that we were split on the matter: one side wants to k-kill Lucifer and the other wants to save him." Gabriel, Messenger of God, had the strongest link to God and could speak to him as easily as she could speak to a person in the same room. She was usually a bubbly, airheaded, woman but the seriousness of the meeting and talks of killing her former brother was too much.

"And what did Father say, dear sister?" Coaxed Ramiel "He wants us to rescue and heal our beloved brother, is that not so?" The tall, strong, somewhat airheaded angel asked.

"Actually, yes, he wants us to approach Lucifer and see, if possible, get him to come back. If that's not possible he wants us to try and find out what made him change into… what he is today…" Raguel frowned as he mulled over her words. There was something else.

"What are we to do with the traitor once we have completed or failed to find out what changed him into a monster?" Gabriel flinched at Sariel's words, causing Ramiel to snap his head in his direction and open his mouth to berate him.

"Father told me that we h-have to k-kill him after that…" As Gabriel teared up, Raguel's sense of justice was satisfied - as he knew he would be, Father is the very essence of Justice, after all.

Michael stood from his position at one of the ends of the table "And so Father has spoken, we will try diplomacy with Lucifer before we go on the offensive. We will send out three Archangels, with a choir of battle-ready angels behind them, to talk to Lucifer." He pointed to the three Seraphim chosen for the task "Ramiel, you will lead this mission. With you will be Raphael and Gabriel."

Raguel stood up immediately "Elder brother, I must protest! Neither Raphael nor Gabriel are fighters and in a fight between Ramiel and Lucifer, I would say that latter wins. I understand that they will have many lower-ranking angels with them, but I'm sure Lucifer will be surrounded by the angels he has kidnapped and corrupted as well. I also realise the value in having Raphael, the Angel of Healing, in a fight… but if your opponent doesn't give you time to heal it doesn't matter!" He leaned over the desk, his heavenly robe had been replaced by silver armor ever since Lucifer started his rebellion, he rested his heavy frame on his arms as he continued "Send another powerful fighter. I volunteer to go. I would also ensure that proper justice-"

"I am very sorry brother Raguel, but I can't send you. You are needed here in Heaven to make sure angels follow the rules set by Father. Your power is also needed here now that we are sending out so many Seraphim, to ward off Lucifer and his generals." He looked to the three he wished to send out and saw that it was indeed as Raguel said, only one of them had any combat ability to speak of. "However, I will follow your wise counsel and send out another Archangel with the group. Sariel, please ensure they all come back home."

With that, everyone were more or less satisfied. Sariel is one of the mightier Archangels, as he held dominion over the most feared power of all. Ramiel is no slouch either, God had once said that Hope was the greatest power in the world.

* * *

It had been a disaster. Lucifer was powerful beyond anything they had seen before. He was also insane, he attacked them as soon as he spotted them. Great shockwaves tore up the fair lands as he attacked, forests were reduced to ash as he exhaled. He was a savage… he was no longer Archangel Lucifer, the Light-Bringer. His powers, his appearance, his soul - everything - was twisted beyond recognition.

Sariel was first to fall. Overconfidence in his abilities quickly changed to shock when his powers of death were unable to penetrate some form of magic barrier that enshrouded Lucifer like a second skin. His death was quick, erased from existence by flames so hot he was disintegrated.

Ramiel shouted for them to fall back to Heaven, he would cover their escape. He fought defensively while retreating. The Angel of Hope managed to dodge one earth-shattering blow but was caught by the follow-up. The impact made a sound like someone dropped a bomb right beside him, and it probably felt like it as well. He was far too injured to move, and on the verge of death, when Lucifer threw a weak fireball to finish him off. Ramiel, the Angel of Hope, died burning to death with all his bones broken.

"Gabriel! You have to get back to Heaven and tell the others! I can hold him off for a while, go!" Raphael shouted, crying over the loss of her brothers - all three of them.

"Raphael, come with me! It's not far, we can make it now! Please, hurry!" The buxom blonde cried out for her sister, but Raphael had already turned towards the rapidly approaching Lucifer.

"Please, Gabriel, hurry."

That day Lucifer was declared to be an unforgivable evil and was given the cursed title Devil.

* * *

Meeting his hated enemy on the battlefield was almost a relief for God, finally he could put this war to rest. He did not know what caused his son to be so foolish as to appear before him, he knew very well who would win this battle, but he would make sure to seize the opportunity.

Many lives had been lost over the many years of this pointless war. Others had been made into battle-hardened soldiers, able to kill without a second thought - something they had done a lot of. This is what he wanted to prevent when he made his new world, and it all started with him. Lucifer, his own son, had betrayed him. He had started taken steps on the path towards divinity, but it's like Lucifer's path was muddy and it had corrupted his mind and soul.

"I'm sure you're wondering, dear Father, why I'm here about to face down the mightiest being in existence all by myself?" With gleaming red eyes and a cackle, the deranged demigod gave him a big grin "Well you see… I'm not exactly all alone here"

God just remained calm, he could bring an army of his minions if he so wanted, it would make no difference. The generals were all fighting his Archangels at the moment so the ones he could have to fight would be relatively powerless.

"Lucifer, do you have any last words?" God made a ball of light that grew until it was an arm's length in size and height. The ball of energy swirled with many different colors, some yet to be seen in either Heaven or earth. This was a truly divine power and it made Lucifer sweat a bit, it would shatter his defences like glass.

"Heh, yes, I do! I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God! I will- _urk_!" He was interrupted by God releasing his divine energy in the form of a blast that sounded with an earth-shaking roar.

"W-why, why haven't you come?! He will kill me if you wait any longer! Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry! _Aagh_!" The injured, and clearly insane, Devil yelled out across the battlefield as the extent of his injuries became clear. The blast had taken his right arm and leg, along with part of his hip and stomach. Deep red blood flowed freely as he laid on the ground, squirming and shouting for this mystery person to hurry, the only thing keeping him alive were his divine powers.

"How you have fallen, Light-Bringer, son of the dawn!" As God charged up another divine blast, a presence made itself known.

"Hold it." The unrevealed person said and, God turned to look at him immediately dispelled the technique in shock.

_Impossible._

* * *

Fighting the generals of Lucifer was as brutal as one could imagine. They were not only powerful, they were also cruel and bloodthirsty. Some of them also showed great intelligence, showing that they were more than mere beasts.

They were in luck when Raguel encountered Belphegor, Lucifer's aspect of Sloth, and managed to kill him quickly. Shows that laziness doesn't pay off.

Now they were equal in numbers: Five Archangels and five generals. They were all too busy to help each other, unfortunately, but from what Michael could sense no one had died yet - on either side. He did know that Father was with them, and that Lucifer was on the battlefield as well, they were bound to meet and finally this horrible war could be put to an end. Father could then help the others against the generals and it would all-!

_Woosh!_ Was the sound of his enemy's blade cutting too close to his face for comfort. The ugly sword, made of some dark iron, managed to cut a few hairs as he moved out of the way. "That's annoying. Stand still you pissant! If you don't I'll make your death really fucking painful, do you understand?!" His enemy was the top general in Lucifer's army, the Aspect of Wrath, Satan.

Feeling his energy flow within himself, he redirected a part of it with ease to form a great spear made of light. "You are sick, former brother of mine. I'm sorry I have to do this to you. Please forgive me." He said with a grimace. This was not his first time killing but hopefully with the war about to end, it would be his last.

A powerful aura radiated from him as his spear grew larger and larger, Satan did not dare approach out of fear of getting into melee when his opponent has such a weapon. When the spear was so large that only a family of giants would be able to wield it, if it had any real mass, he tossed it towards him. The lightspear travelled fast and made contact with the ground.

_BOOM!_

Michael was thrown to the ground as a massive shockwave hit him. It cleared the battlefield of smoke and dust, allowing him to see that his brothers and sisters, along with their enemies had also been thrown to the ground. _".My spear should not have caused such an explosion."_ The only one with power like that was Father.

As he looked towards the part of the destroyed wasteland where God had been fighting Lucifer, he could see Lucifer lying in a pool of his own blood but not his Father. _"Who is he fighting that is forcing him to use so much power? Did Lucifer have a secret weapon stored away, a seventh general?"_

_BOOM!_

Another shockwave travelled over the battlefield, this time he managed to see where it came from - if only barely. It came from above, but not just a bit above ground like normal, they had left the planet completely.

Shocked at this revelation, he thought about the fact that the shockwaves had travelled from outside the atmosphere and were still forcing him flat on his stomach. He, and the remaining survivors, were only able to watch as God fought what seemed like… his equal.

"_Blasphemy!"_

Eventually, the battle came to a stop when a supreme, dazzling, light covered the entire world, forcing them to cover their eyes. When they were able to open their eyes again they saw huge chunks of earth rocketing up towards the two godly combatants. More and more earth travelled up there until it took on a sphere-like form. The sphere grew bigger and bigger, eventually becoming truly massive in size. It shone with an intense, divine, light. Showering them all in it like a second sun.

The progress suddenly grew to a halt, the miniplanet had reached an acceptable mass it seemed. Time to wait for Father to come back and help finish off the rest, then maybe they will have peace again-

"No! Father! No, no, no, no, no! What's happening?!" Cried a hysterical Gabriel, her voice was heard all across the battlefield. Michael instantly flew to her, having regained mobility. He idly noted that Mammon, the Aspect of Greed, the Demon she had been fighting was still alive. He quickly formed a mighty spear of light, many times beyond that which Mammon had been facing previously, and ended his life.

"Gabriel, what's wrong? You mentioned Father, he should be on his way now, right?" Questioned Michael hastily, holding her by the shoulders and looking into her eyes.

"Michael, I-I can't feel the connection any more. Father is gone!" Michael wasn't able to process what she said at first. What she is implying is impossible - it's damn near blasphemy! But… for her not to feel their link meant that either she's incapacitated… or he is.

"Gabriel, do not tell the others yet. Keep fighting. You know that Father is the most powerful and wise being there is, do not doubt him now. I will look for him by that great moon he created!"

* * *

"_The world is grey, the mountains old,  
The forge's fire is ashen-cold;  
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:  
The darkness dwells in God's halls."_ \- Heavenly Record of Origins 1:5

He was not there, in fact he was nowhere on the battlefield at all. He was gone and it hurt to say. Eventually the angels all had to return to their home, with or without their father. Michael was the one who ordered them to head home, saving anyone else from having to make the difficult call to stop searching for their Father.

The angels still needed a leader, now more than ever. Michael had been created for this very task, naturally it fell to him to pick up after his Father. To regulate the flow of human souls into heaven, which was also a relatively new thing, in terms of angelic lifespans; mankind now lived on earth and numbered in the hundreds of thousands.

He was also the one who was forced to deal with the aftermath of God's death, as every single angel, no matter how powerful, could feel it. Perhaps not to Gabriel's extent but they all could feel a part of them shut down. Many of his brothers' and sisters' wings turned black in hatred and grief as they realized what had happened, and they fell out of Heaven to earth. There they named themselves the Grigori, the fallen angels, and formed a mighty faction of their own. Chief among them was former Archangel Azazel, now Governor-general of the Grigori.

Michael still ordered search parties to scout around the world, the Moon, in the oceans. Anywhere there was a chance of finding even a clue, they would go. But so far they had found nothing.

He frowned to himself, at least the pain does dull a bit over time. And a lot of time had passed. A thousand years used to pass by so fast before the Great War. Now… _"I'm not sure I want to live to see another one._"


	2. Chapter 2: Enter--God!

"_But still the sunken stars appear  
In Heaven, that He held so dear;  
There lies his crown in darkness deep,  
Till God wakes again from sleep."_ \- Heavenly Record of Origins 1:6

A man dressed in a traditional white robe walked alongside a river outside a bustling city in Japan. Mankind had grown in so many ways; they dominated the world just like the men of old but they now numbered in the billions - a number that had never even been used in the old world. Kings, civilizations and wars came and went, but now it was all stabilising and he could not be prouder.

His forced absence from Heaven had been more impactful than he could have imagined. It resulted in the birth of a new faction in the Fallen Angels and thousands of his children falling from Heaven. He had to put all his power into sealing an enemy beyond the angels, beyond the fallen angels, and beyond even Lucifer and his demons. For the seal to hold his divine power had to stay with it, leaving him as divine as any other human you would find on the side of the road - disregarding his vitality and longevity...

The first couple of centuries he spent on the Moon, with hawk-like eyes he watched over his prisoner. Once satisfied his enemy would not break out as long as his power remained with the seals he planned to leave the prison for Heaven. He quickly realized this was impossible as he could not fly, teleport or even dimension-travel anymore. His powers were with the seal. So, trusting in the might of his godly flesh, he instead plummeted like a meteor towards the one place he could go: earth.

The impact was great and since he could not dampen the fall with energy, he was indeed injured from the fall. He landed in a great, damp, jungle in the year 1799, it was a spectacle witnessed by many. The timing of this was deliberate as an ongoing meteor storm would disguise his fall… and the subsequent impact. Luckily, all injuries heal when you literally have the body of a god. Ever since then he had been walking the earth as a mortal, rarely influencing the course of history and instead letting men sort it out themselves.

The men of the new world were so different from those of the old world. Peace of a kind had started to spread across the civilized world. Organisations and unions based on international trust agreements had taken form, with the genuine intention of helping each other, as proven by the resources shared. Where as in the old world it was a constant struggle for power and territory - allies were as likely to turn on you in a war as they were to fight with you, as he was all too well aware.

He smiled to himself as he continued down the road, yes, there were still wars and suffering in the world but it was decreasing at a rapid rate. Mankind were proving themselves extraordinarily adaptive and - to his genuine shock - sympathetic to the less fortunate. It would not be long before the world saw peace in all nations, a few hundred years at the most.

He continued to walk along the road and mull over the fate of men, finally coming to a stop when he saw his destination peering over the horizon. A small village, it was on fire.

"A few hundred years more, huh…"

* * *

Explosions were going off, people were screaming out in fright and pain and grief as the flames claimed their village and loved ones.

"Give me the boy and all this will be over. You mortals may return to whatever state of normalcy you call life." Drawled a short evil-looking creature in stylised spiked black and blood colored armour. As if that wasn't strange enough, he had dark grey skin and goat-like horns protruding from his head. "Maybe you need some more motivation…"

The creature looked over his shoulder towards a mother trying to herd her two children away from the battlefield with a smirk. Forming a fireball in his hand with ease he then flicked it in their direction, all the time looking at their faces to enjoy as much of their despair as possible.

Time seemed to slow down as their death drew closer, as the grin on their killer's face grew in size and the flames grew in intensity. The mother only had time to yell in surprise as she then shielded her two children from the blast, killing her instantly.

The creature laughed maniacally, "How noble! Now I will have to take all of one second out of my life to make another one! It will always confuse me when I see you mortals give up what little time you have for another mortal. It's like a rat sacrificing itself for another rat! No… it's like a speck of dust! Yes, it's like a speck of dust sacrificing itself so some other insignificant speck of dust won't get swept up!" He laughed even louder as he walked towards the explosion where the family of three once had been. There was still too much dust to look his victims in the eye as he killed them, so he would have to be patient. "In the end it's just a worthless speck of dust! It should accept its fate and die by my hand!"

As the dust started to clear he quickly sent another fireball at it. He regretted this action very quickly. "That-! Oh, no, shit!", sitting by his dead mother and sister, missing his legs was a young boy. He was dressed in a shining green breastplate of crystal—his sacred gear, the very same the creature had been sent out to find. Now he was about to kill this boy and fail his masters, a fate worse than death.

_Boom!_

The creature dropped to his knees, headless, just as his fireball hit the child. Unclenching his fist, the white-robed man hurried to the child. The sacred gear was a defensive one, but this was the first time the child had activated it so it was too weak to fully stop the attack. The child would die, the only question was how much he would suffer before doing so.

Giving the dying child a kind smile, he knelt down on the ground beside him, "My child, will you please close your eyes for a while?"

"It hurts, old man! It hurts so much!" He cried, holding his chest—the area where he was hit—as he coughed up globs of blood.

"I know" he put his hand on the child's shoulder for comfort, not that it would do much, "You are very badly injured, my child. But listen to me and I will help..-"

He was interrupted by the surprisingly loud yell coming from the boy, "Not that! My heart, it hurts! My mother and sister—dead! Please, the pain, it's too much! I can't stand it, _urgh_…-"

This was the result of the famous System he had made for gifting Man with sacred gears. Only those with special traits, such as this child's strong feelings of love and protectiveness, would be chosen. How very unfortunate this happened, who knows what kind of extraordinary man he would have grown up to become.

"You will join them soon, the fire dealt too much damage to your heart and lungs, even if I took you to a hospital now you would not make it. I am sorry, my child."

The boy gave a beautiful smile at this, "Don't be, I will be with mom and my sister again. _Ugh_…-! I will even see dad again! _Ugh_…" He was getting worse, fast. Coughing up blood as he spoke, clearly in pain.

"Then close your eyes, my child." The boy closed his eyes and then opened them, in Heaven, with the rest of his family.

The white-robed man looked at the corpse of the young boy he had just killed. He looked at the now empty, somewhat burned-down village. Finally, his eyes landed on the headless creature, the cause of all this. He noticed it was disintegrating, much like ice near a fire. The pieces of the corpse was disappearing into the air, in a dark smoke.

The thing worrying him was that this being was not something he had created. Someone else was creating powerful sentient life forms. For someone to create such life forms they would have to rival him in power. Only one person fit that criteria but he was locked away in the Moon.

He could feel through the connection to his power that the seals were still working, so the prisoner was still safely bound inside. His body and power were separated and sealed tightly, the only thing that remained untouchable to even him was…

"... His soul. Damn it, you bastard."

* * *

With the slaughter of the village and the apparent free soul of his enemy roaming free weighing heavy on his mind, he set out for a town famous among supernaturals, Kuoh Town. He needed some powerful allies if he—and the world—were to stand a chance against this new threat. Ideally he would get in touch with his angels, but they were lived isolated lives in Heaven, for the most part, rarely mingling with the other races. Contacting an angel was exceedingly difficult unless they come to you.

"Hey, get out of the way! I'm super late for school!" He looked behind him to see a young brown-haired man, with brown eyes, of average height… there was really almost nothing noteworthy about him, perhaps aside from how long his neck-hair was _"Mullets went out of style years ago…"_

Yes, at first glance he was nothing interesting, and why would you give someone like this guy a second glance? Well, because in his soul resides one of the greatest Longinus, the Boosted Gear. This boy must be something special to house such a powerful Sacred Gear.

Though he no longer controlled the distribution of Sacred Gears himself, God was still the one to create them all and the way the system of distribution worked. Powerful Sacred Gears such as the Longinus required powerful souls. It was very interesting to have run into him and it will be more interesting still to watch him grow into his full potential.

He watched the average-looking teenager run off into the distance, assumingly in the direction of his school. _"The young have their worries and we have ours."_ smiling he turned on his heel and walked in a different direction, thinking about what the future has in store for the holder of the Longinus.

"_He will face many challenges, as all souls that powerful do. He will need to realize his power soon, or else he will die."_ Smiling as he took a big step to get over a dog that was lying down in the middle of the road, he thought _"He should be given a fighting chance"_.

* * *

The crippled God walked up to the receptionist with a beatific expression on his face, asking for a room for the night. The poor mortal did not stand a chance—the receptionist was not even a woman! He just forgot to ask for pay, so dazzled was he.

There's nothing like a good night's sleep, even for the divine. This is not a luxury he is willing to give up too hastily.

It was not a large room by any means, but such a thing was not needed. It contained a bed, a chair, a closet and a bathroom. Unpacking and laying down the few things he had on the chair and floor, he then laid down on the bed for a while, staring out through the window. It was difficult to be separated from the angels, but he had no way to contact them.

The angels, the devils—as they chose to call themselves, one can assume it is to honor Lucifer—and the fallen angels, were no longer in open war. Much like the humans they were growing ever-closer to permanent peace. So while the separation was difficult, and something he thought about often, he was pleased with what the three factions were doing in his absence, and this did ease the burden.

If another Great War broke out it would prove to be the hardest test in his long life not to retrieve his powers and put an end to it. Since doing so would eventually free his enemy from his prison in the Moon. So while it would be his hardest test in his long life, he would have to endure; after all, a ninja is one who endures.

He then closed in eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

It wasn't hard to track down the average-looking Longinus user he had bumped into the previous day. Anything he'd created would always eagerly answer his call. The young man was at the only high school in town, so that's where he would go. Maybe the Booster Gear, a Longinus so strong some claimed it could slay even gods, was what he needed for what was to come… He shook his head as he arrived at the gates to the huge school and put aside such thoughts _"Whether he can be of use of not does not matter, I have to help him either way!"_.

He sat down on one of the many wooden benches in the school's courtyard, waiting for the unknowing Heavenly Dragon to finish his classes. The sun he had reignited such a long time ago bathed him in a warm, golden, light—like a hug a child would give a parent. He felt a strong connection to the sun he had given new life to. It had taken more out of him than anything else ever since his rise to divinity. Truly, the sun was his magnum opus, the ultimate representation of his magnificence.

Time passes quickly the older you become, a mere couple of hours is nothing to someone like the creator of the human species, eventually the one he was waiting exited the building. He was in the company of two others, one young man wearing glasses and another with some looked kind of athletic, they were talking about the various beauties in their school very loudly and passionately.

He stood up, and having sat down on a wooden bench for a couple of hours he got rid of some kinks here and there, then approached the painfully average-looking man. He was quickly noticed. His sense of fashion… or perhaps lack thereof, made him stand out quite a bit.

"Hey, who the hell are you, some kinda creep looking to abduct all the girls and take them to your dungeon?!" The athletic-looking guy asked brusquely, surprising the crippled god.

"Yeah! You better knock that notion right out of your stupid looking head right now! There's only one harem king in this town and that's me!" The average-looking boy exclaimed for, unfortunately, all to hear.

Thanks to his experience, he instantly realised that he was dealing with some high-tier perverts. "I am not here for your women, seducers. I am here to speak with one of you, that is all." He offered them an honest smile to disarm any thoughts of foul-play.

Narrowing his eyes, the bespectacled one of the trio asked him in a strict voice "Oh, is that so. Well who are you and what are you doing here then, if you're not here for the high school that was recently made open to both genders?"

"As I said before, I merely want to talk to him," he pointed at the brown-haired young man with the… kind-of-mullet. He offered them a joyful grin "I'm not here to take anything from you, now would you please come with me."

"Eh, sure, I don't have anything better to do. Really, I was just going to go home and watch some of my old por-" The brown-haired pervert did not have time to finish his sentence as the blonde slung his arm around his neck and started leading him away from the school, giving an uncomfortable laugh "Alright, that's not something you need to talk about."

"If this old man tries anything just call us, Issei!" As the newly named Issei was led away his two friends waved at him and cast suspicious looks at the strangely dressed man.

* * *

Issei had been very curious as they walked away from school grounds and towards the Kuoh's forest. He had been asking many questions about what what was going on and who he was, only to receive cryptic answers, all would be made clear once they arrived at the forest.

Kuoh's forest was unnaturally thick and full of life, the trees were stronger and more lush than anywhere else in the world. The great big trees, an attraction for many tourists around the globe, surrounded them as the two finally stopped walking. Issei was very nervous at this point thinking this might be the older brother of someone he had perved on—was he about to get beat up? The blonde looked silly, dressed in such traditional clothes, but the the muscles could be seen on him as clear as day. _"Avoid confrontation at all costs!"_

"Forgive me for leading you this far out into the forest, Issei, was it?" As the brown-haired youth nodded hesitantly he smiled and spread his arms "I meant what I said before: I mean you no harm, I merely wish to speak with you. You see, you are very important, Issei."

Creasing his brow, Issei was thoroughly confused "Important? What the hell are you talking about, man? And who are you anyway? It's really strange for a man to lead another man into such a secluded location, you know!"

"I suppose it would be easier if I simply showed you... " He then threw a quick punch aimed at the face one Issei. Somehow the holder of the Boosted Gear managed to dodge, but his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he felt the wind rush past his head and knock him on his ass.

"_This guy…! He must be some kind of super-older-brother here to kill me for perving on his younger sister! I always knew it would end this way!"_

Smirking smugly, the blonde retracted his smoking fist to his side and looked on the downed Issei "You managed to dodge a punch; that was very impressive, how many more do you think you can handle before your luck runs out?" He more like flicked his fist in the direction of Issei once more and a great force followed.

Issei managed to dodge the second punch as well, though this time it came a lot closer than the first one, it tore off part of his shirt and threw him back a couple of feet. He was terrified and shocked that this guy was so strong. Not even professional boxers could throw punches that would travel through the air.

"_What the hell is going on here?! Who is this guy?" _He narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth, clenching his fists until the knuckles were white _"And how do I get out of here? How do I beat him?"_

The blonde man in the white robe seemed to merely stand there, observing him, taking his time. After a moment passed he sank back into his fighting stance and prepared to throw another punch.

"_Issei, you must use use my power to be able to fight back!"_ Startled, the young man nearly missed a step as he dodged the mysterious… air… punch...?

"Whoah, who the fuck are you?! How are you in my head?!" A very clearly shocked and befuddled Issei yelled out, skillfully ignoring the blonde's chuckles.

"_My name is Ddraig, one of the two Heavenly Dragons. Now a Longinus-class Sacred Gear, but I'll have time to explain all this later. Right now you have to try and draw out my power and defeat this enemy!"_

"How do I do that? Just like-" Then another punch was thrown his way, this time he was not able to fully dodge in time. Time seemed to slow down as he saw the force of the punch tear up the ground in front of him. Grass, dirt and stone was all torn to pieces before the horrible might of the punch.

Screaming in fright, he turned away his face and closed his eyes. He held up both of his arms to cover his face, something that most people will find themselves doing when in danger. Only… the pain never arrived. _"Am I already dead? That was surprisingly easy for someone like me."_

He was met with a deep laugh _"Not quite, partner. You're still very much alive. Open your eyes and appreciate the power we wield._"

With no small amount of apprehension he opened his eyes. First of all, he was fully unharmed, the attack had stopped a safe distance in front of him. Secondly, he had a strange, red, spiked, kind of cool, gauntlet covering his hand.

"What the hell-?" He waved his arm about, trying to shake the gauntlet, only to jump in fright when it yelled at him _"Stop that you fool! You're in a battle! Focus at your opponent and I'll explain our situation later, as I said before!"_

To his surprise the white-robed man merely smiled happily and adopted a more casual stance "Well done, Issei, you've just taken a big step towards saving the world."

Glaring angrily at the strange man who had been attacking him "Saving the world? What the hell are you talking about? Why did you attack me? Who the fuck are you? Answer me damn it!" He held his gauntlet out in front of him in a defensive position, he was not sure about how to use it or where it came from yet but it seemed to be made out of sturdier stuff than his skin, so it would block an attack better than his bare bare body.

The blonde man's smile evolved from a smile into a full-blown grin, as he started walking towards Issei, slowly, as to not alarm him with any sudden movements "Yes, you're well within your rights to ask those questions at this point!" He laughed heartily "I know that I would be if I were in your shoes. Yes, indeed, I have been in your very position and I did ask the very same questions! Anyway, I shall answer them now that you have gotten past the unpleasant introduction."

He stopped a comfortable distance away from Issei and sat down cross-legged on the ground "I will answer your questions in order. When I say you have the potential to help save world, I am not exaggerating. You were born with great power, the power of a dragon. That red gauntlet you saw earlier is actually a legendary dragon who has been made part of your soul. Something like that is called a Sacred Gear, items with great powers gifted to mankind."

"What do you mean dragon? A big fire-breathing lizard of myth? I don't want you joking around after trying to kill me, alright?!"

"Oh no, they are far more than just fire-breathing lizards. Hm, how should I explain this, they are a lot stronger than the fire-breathing lizards, to begin with." He adopted a mock thinking pose.

Just as Issei was about to open his mouth and angrily retort, Ddraig stopped him in his tracks _"Partner, stop. Right now this man is too powerful for you. I think he might even be a descendant of an ancient hero, as I recognise his presence. If all he wants you to do is listen, then listen."_ The Longinus wielder made a grimace, as he knew this to be the truth. He had been utterly terrified during their fight. Something mystical had been going on. And now all this talk of dragons and the gauntlet—not to mention the unwelcome voice in his head!

"Why did you attack me if I'm so important then? You could have killed me!"

"Well, you see, it was to help you find your power. Sacred Gears are always activated during moments of great distress. like when you think you're about to die, for example."

"_There's that name again, Sacred Gear, what does it mean?"_ Issei was growing very frustrated, very fast, and for once it was not the kind of frustration he could relieve himself of.

The blonde stood up and dusted himself off, giving another short laugh "Forgive me, Issei. It has just been a long time since I have had the opportunity to mess with someone. I fear my sense of humour has become somewhat… twisted. I have always been a bit of a prankster, you see."

"Ah… is that so…" He said uncertainly, not knowing where he the traditionally-clothed man wanted to go with that.

"Yes, indeed. This… test… turned out a little bit harder than it should have because of that, and so I ask for your forgiveness." He bowed at the hip, hand over his heart "My name is… Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto affixed Issei with an almost hypnotising stare. There seemed to be more and more behind those blue eyes the longer he looked into them… what were those lights? "Issei, the world contains so much more than what you know, so much more than you could imagine. Unfortunately, all of it is in danger, and your help is needed!"

"What!"

* * *

**The full Heavenly Record of Origins:**

"_The world was young, the mountains green,_

_No stain yet on the Moon was seen,_

_No words were laid on stream or stone,_

_When God woke and walked alone."_

"_The light of sun and star and moon  
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night  
There shone forever fair and bright. "_

"_A king he was on carven throne  
In many-pillared halls of stone  
With golden roof and silver floor,  
And runes of power upon the door."_

"_Unwearied then were God's folk;  
The angels harped, the minstrels sang,  
And at the gates the trumpets rang."_

"_The world is grey, the mountains old,  
The forge's fire is ashen-cold;  
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls:  
The darkness dwells in God's halls."_

"_But still the sunken stars appear  
In Heaven, that He held so dear;  
There lies his crown in darkness deep,  
Till God wakes again from sleep."_


	3. Chapter 3: Luring Heavenly Hidden Dragon

**Don't be so hasty to judge a story. Naruto is based on God from the Bible, the good and the bad. First chapters of a story are sometimes there to build a foundation. Hope you all will be able to see where I'm taking this story now in this third installment. Thanks for the patient support.**

* * *

Yesterday had certainly been eventful. He had met up with the new wielder of the Boosted Gear and helped activate his Sacred Gear. He might have given the kid a few scrapes in the process but nothing for him to cry about.

There was only one question on Issei's mind as he looked down on his gauntlet and that was "What the fuck is going on?!", he also refused to move on from this question until it had been answered. It was very annoying. He had to hold off on the important explanation for why the world was in grave danger to explain to Issei what was going on. Naturally he told him about the supernatural world of devils and angels—although he did omit that he was the Creator, whenever Issei asked about his role in the supernatural he would change the subject.

It took a long time to explain, and it was made worse with his constant interruptions of disbelief. Unfortunately, Naruto does not have access to his powers and can therefore not prove the existence of the supernatural by himself. Luckily, Issei did have access to his powers, however unimpressive they might be in their current state.

Showing the wielder of the Boosted Gear how to draw out his Longinus was as simple as can be. The Longinus wielder apparently had a conversation with his dragon in his head, something Naruto was all too familiar with, then unleashed the Boosted Gear's main ability: _Boost_! The ability to increase your power twofold, this was an effect he could feel and therefore believe.

Although it was more trouble than he thought just to convince the young dragon of the supernatural, it was pleasing to see that he was sceptical of such an outlandish claim. If Issei had accepted what he said at face value it would have been very worrying.

The issue arose with sundown. It was simply too late to stay outside and talk, as Issei had family who would be worried about him. The trouble was, he thought with a huff and a swift kick to a pebble, that Issei had taken so long trying to draw on his powers and being taught some of the basics of the supernatural, that Naruto never got a chance to tell him what was threatening the world or why he could come to play an important role.

He ground to a halt and looked up at the Moon, it was barely visible now during daylight. With an uncharacteristically deep frown he raised his hand towards the heavenly body and felt for his displaced divine power. The reply was instantaneous as the entire moon glowed with a light many scientists for a time were very interested in but later would brush off as a freak reflection of some cosmological event they had missed.

Of course, causing the Moon to glow beautifully was not his primary objective, he wanted to delve deep inside and feel for any cracks in the fortress of seals he had built. Finding none, he let his shoulders sag in relief and his power returned to maintaining the great prison as his arms returned to their sides.

A discarnate soul with no power—It will be fine. It should be.

* * *

The next day Naruto managed to hunt him down and drag him off into the woods, again. Though he was considerably less willing this time.

"Put some more effort into it, Issei!" said Naruto between chuckles, to the ire of Issei.

Issei was standing in a… frankly ridiculous pose, trying to draw on the same strength he showed during their earlier fight. He was standing with a slight crouch and legs spread wide, his fists were by his hips and clenched tightly. As he stood in this pose he looked down into the ground, muttering about power and matters too perverse for most mere mortals.

"_What is a Harem King?"_

Realising that he was going nowhere with this embarrassing display, Issei gave up and instead sat down on the ground, sending an uncommitted glare to the blonde. "Look, I appreciate that you're helping me with whatever kind of power I have—even though it doesn't work—but why are you doing this?"

Naruto sobered up and sighed, this was a perfect segway into what he really wanted to talk to Issei about: the threat looming over them all, and his role in it as a Longinus-wielder.

He led Issei to a clearing that looked different than the set of forest surrounding them, the grass was not as tall and there were flowers of many kinds growing. Walking through this soft grass barefoot—for training purposes—felt like walking through a sea of feathers. Issei marveled at the sensation as Naruto led him to some medium-sized set of stones, they would do as makeshift chairs. Once seated as comfortably as they could be on some rocks, he began.

"Many of the things I am about to say will sound incredible, but know that I am telling the truth. You see, Issei, you wield great power. Not just for a human, the power you wield is great even in the supernatural world." Naruto motioned towards Issei's bare hand, the one where the gauntlet sat during their fight.

"I'm powerful? Listen, I think you have the wrong guy. Now, I don't know what the hell is up with this red glove but I sure don't feel any different. I don't have super strength or magic or anything—hell, I'm so average in school it hurts to just think about!" Yelling the last part to the heavens, as if cursing his average existence, "What sort of girl will want to date someone like me?! I'll be jacking it forever!"

Naruto reached over and gave Issei a quick and firm slap on the head, "Mind your manners! Do not talk about such rude things in public, people will think that you are a creep. Now, regarding your power: you were born with a Sacred Gear, an invention of God, the Creator. Sacred Gears are special powers given to humans with the intention of keeping mankind safe from the other, more naturally gifted, species such as the devils."

"Oh, alright, so it's like a nuclear weapon. When humanity has a bunch of strong people with these things, nobody will try to mess with us."

Naruto hummed and smiled, "Hm, today that might be at least partly true. The three great factions are enjoying a period of peace, with only small skirmishes every now and then. But all throughout history you will find men who have done amazing deeds, beyond what any other man thought possible. Generals who have won wars against staggering odds, heroes that have slain terrible monsters. History's greatest often had a Sacred Gear—a touch of the supernatural—just like you. They were just forced into more situations where they had to make use of it, and therefore be recognised as men of valour. The past is a chaotic mess of war and bloodshed."

A bit stunned, once more, at this revelation. He had something in common with the greatest, the strongest, the most brave and valiant men, all throughout history? _"This man makes it sound like I'm destined for greatness... but that can't be right. I have never done anything truly noteworthy in my life… except drilling that hole in the Women's Kendo Club's locker room!"_ he thought as his face nearly split in two with a lecherous grin.

"Now you see that the Sacred Gears are very important. Many very famous and influential people had one, some were so amazing they would become mere myths and legends. Achilles, Julius Caesar, King Arthur—they were all men who had an unerasable impact on the world.

"You, too, have a Sacred Gear Issei. And not just any kind of Sacred Gear, you have one of the most sought-after and powerful Sacred Gears there are. You have a Longinus, a weapon said to be able to kill a god!"

Issei nearly fell over in shock; could it be true that he had been chosen to wield a weapon of legendary power? "That red glove is my Sacred Gear?" He asked, tentatively.

"That glove, as you call it, is at least one of its forms. You will learn more about its power soon, and I want to help you on this path. Before you say anything, know that you are no longer a regular human. With your Sacred Gear awakened, it will eventually try to make contact and train you itself.

"The awakened Sacred gear also increased the size of your mana pool, meaning you are now overall stronger—but it also means that supernatural beings can sense that you are not a regular human." It was with a sombre face that Naruto explained Issei's situation. He had indeed been blessed with heavenly power, albeit unknowingly.

The two issues were the dangers he would face because of said power, and Issei's own attitude towards having these powers and responsibilities thrust upon him. Out of the two Naruto feared the latter one more. Although he trusts the system of Sacred Gear distribution he created, and he is certain that Issei does possess a strong soul, men do not fight the way they used to. Issei has never been in a fight to the death before, he does not know of war.

Issei was torn. He did not want to get deeper into this mess with the crazy man with the crazy abilities, who made him into a man with crazy abilities. At the same time, he definitely did not want to go into this new supernatural world without a guide.

"Can I have some time to think about it? I'm honestly just so overwhelmed right now, it feels like I'm gonna pass out." He said, his world spinning slightly as he thought about what it would mean if the various mythologies really were true.

"Of course. Try to come to a decision quickly. I wish I did not have to pressure you like this, but time truly is of the essence."

And so, with a quick nod to Naruto, Issei made his way home.

* * *

A deep tiredness came over Naruto as the young man left.

"The daily stress and worries of civilians. Even back then I could not understand it… How could you be faced with the possible death of everyone you know and not do everything in your power to stop it? Whether you are a man with no training arming yourself with a spear to defend your home and family, or if you are a man born with legendary power.

When the enemy comes knocking, everything is put into perspective. But by then it will be too late." His blue eyes reflected the sunny sky, as if the fiery orb was actually being projected onto the heaven from his very eyes.

The clearing in which the two had been talking was his current home. It was not the most luxurious of homes but with his credentials it is understandable that he did not require much.

The clearing was surrounded by a thick forest of trees, keeping out everything except the odd wild animal. From the lake outside Kuoh there ran a stream through his clearing, keeping him supplied with water.

Before he decided on this very location the spot was littered with huge boulders, most of which have been removed now. Five slabs, made into makeshift seats, remained in a big five-pointed star. In the middle of the formation there was another slab, forming a table.

Finally, the cave is where he would stay and rest. He chose it because he noticed that the presence of magic was so strong here. Although he can not sense it, he can still see the effects of such a presence as clear as day.

The trees were thicker, the animals were bigger and stronger, the greenery had a certain radiance to it, the water just sparkled as it passed by. It could be seen most clearly in the cave. As you entered you felt a shift in the air, like the difference between hot and cold or heavy and light, it is a most physical feeling. The temperature will be just right and a weight you did not know you were carrying will come off your shoulders.

The cave must have been one of the points where he unleashed the full force of his power into the very planet to restore it. It is only natural that the echoes of his power would ring to this day, and for many millennia to come.

Interesting that whatever drew him to this location the first time managed to get him back again… is this the work of fate? Is this some place from his past, though long since forgotten? Or just Lady Luck cutting him some slack?

He walked on the soft grass into his cave and took a nap.

* * *

Waking up from his nap, Naruto noticed that night had fallen. He left his cave to catch some delicious fish from the stream.

The walk to the stream was pleasant as ever. There was a gentle breeze almost caressing him as he walked under the starlit sky. Ever since the death of the Old World he has been able to take great comfort in the stars—maybe because they are the last remnants of the Old World. He felt like the stars are calling to him, sometimes.

And so it was with a smile on his face he caught his second fish, then prepared them by the riverside. Before starting he lowered each fish into the sparkling water and with a grateful smile thanked them both for their sacrifice, neither fish swam away. Naruto broke their necks swiftly. Then, grabbing a palm-sized rock and crushing it in his hand in such a way that it gained an edge, he then proceeded to gut the fish and remove their heads and scales.

He threw the heads and guts into the forest. The unwanted parts would feed some other animals, and so the cycle of life goes ever on.

He had made contact with Issei, and hopefully made a very powerful ally in him. These following days would be vital for Issei in determining his future, for Naruto to determine whether he'd need to move and look for allies somewhere else, and potentially for the world as a whole.

The fire crackled as the wood burned, the fish was truly delicious. That water just blessed anything it touched. He took the second fish of the fire, it looked to be just about done.

Luckily, there are others out there. Maybe he should use what limited time he has got to gather as many allies as possible, instead of focusing on one—potentially—very powerful one. The enemy had already invaded once already, after all…

Naruto took his final bite of fish. Issei will get one week.

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day in Kuoh. The type of day one might picture when school's out and the water is just the right temperature. Not that many in students in Kuoh would partake in outdoor activities.

One student was an exception to that, since school was over for the day and he was out and about. His name is Issei Hyoudou and the reason he would be out meandering is the woman currently holding his hand, a beautiful brunette by the name of Yuuma Amano.

He felt a bit guilty about not returning to meet with Naruto during the past four days but things have actually been going well for him in life now. He was just noticed in the hallway the other day by one of the school's Great Ladies, Rias Gremory, and today he's going on a date with a real woman! He can't do anything to disturb whatever flow he's in right now!

"So, Issei… I really had a great time today, with you," She looked at him shyly though her eyelashes, with a blush on her face, offering a smile "I just have this one wish. Would you grant me this wish?"

His heart was beating like never before. His face probably gave off more heat than the sun. All water instantly evaporated from his mouth. This was it, just like on the internet. "W-what do you want?! I'll do anything for you!" He exclaimed rather loudly.

She tilted her head down toward the ground, hiding her eyes with her hair, then came the quiet response.

"I want you to die for me."

Issei laughed a bit, "I think I just misheard you there, could you please repeat" as he rubbed the back of his head and gave her a smile.

She looked him in the eye and started to emit light, then Yuuma Amano disappeared and the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen took her place. He doesn't remember much else, except some flashes of red… his own blood? No—well, yes there was some of that as well.

He woke up, reborn as a devil. A pawn in Rias Gremory's peerage.

* * *

He sat cross-legged in the cave, clearing his mind. The matter of this new enemy leader had bothered him for some time. If he's able to create creatures with a level of sentience and magic comparable to his own, then it's not unreasonable to assume that their power is comparable as well. The question is how to deal with him.

"I will need something more to deal with him. Help from allies or some kind of weapon. The issue is that my sheer strength would shatter most weapons. I would need some kind of magical weapon, which I can not use due to my lack of magic, or something made of a near-unbreakable substance… I will stick to gathering powerful allies, for now."

The light of the sun shone into his cave, waking him from his thoughts. The sun had risen for the seventh time. His eyes snapped open, Issei had ran out of time.

He would just go and talk to him one last time before moving on.

* * *

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find a young man by the name of Issei Hyoudou? He goes to this school."

"Oh, the pervert? Yeah, he's been hanging out with some big shots lately, actually. Like, Great Ladies kind of big, I'm talking Rias and Akeno—both of them, at the same time! I'm so jealous!"

Naruto just smiled and nodded his head, pretending to understand what this fellow was talking about. What could be so great about a girl going to high school?

"Ah, is that so? Well, if you could tell me where you think he is at the moment, I would truly appreciate it."

"Probably doing some club stuff, all three of them are part of the Occult Research Club, you see. It's an 'invite-only' kind of club, very tricky to get into. They have an entire building to themselves, for some reason, you can't miss it." He pointed towards a huge building, with a clock tower. "It's that one over there. Good luck with your application, friend!" The friendly young man slapped him on the back before continuing down the road to the school's main building.

Naruto was ever so slightly taken aback but realised that the young man's assumption was due to the fact that most people who go there do so to join this prestigious club.

"I thought the occult had been falling out of style with humans for decades, why is it so popular here?" He thought to himself as he continued down the paved path to the club house. "And why is it so ridiculously luxurious? How can the school afford to dedicate such a huge building to something so trivial?"

With three swift taps to the wooden door he let himself be known, then it was just a matter of waiting for someone to open up. The man who was given the honour was a tall, thin, pretty, blonde young man with a kind face.

"Hello sir, you've come to the club house for occult research. I'm Kiba Yuuto, a member of the club, can I help you?" His face actually sparkled slightly as he smiled but his kindness seemed genuine.

"Yes and thank you, Kiba. My name is Naruto, I am looking for one Issei Hyoudou and I have been told he might be here." Instantly something in Kiba's posture changed, he was now on guard. That was a strange response but not uncommon among those with a combat background where something goes wrong and pain or death is involved. People like that be on their guard and assume the worst in the future.

"Ah yes, I see. Issei is a friend of mine and I know he's not the most popular person in school, so before I say anything else I'd just like to know why you want to find him."

"Oh don't worry about that, the easiest way of saying this is that I would like to wrap up something he and I started some time ago." Naruto, too, put on a genial smile. "I can promise you that I do not have any ill will towards Issei."

The younger—less divine, unless you asked his fanclub—blonde considered his words for a moment and looked him over, no longer caring about hiding his scepticism. After half a minute had passed, Kiba's smile returned and he took a step to the side, as if to let Naruto inside.

"Issei is currently out with some of the other members of the Occult Club on an expedition but he will be back soon. You are free to stay and wait inside, Naruto."

Stepping foot inside the huge building, he nodded towards Kiba with a grin. "Thank you, I will not cause any trouble."

* * *

The inside was even more ostentatious than the outside. To say that the inside was well-decorated was an understatement. It did not look like a school, at the very least.

"Excuse me, Kiba. Why is it that the Occult Research Club have all these things? The great big building, for example, it must have cost a lot of money." He was looking around inside the gathering hall and everything was nice. At the same time, he thought, all the better for him, as he would have to spend some time here to wait for Issei—it might as well be a nice place!

"Oh, well it's mostly because of some big donations we've had throughout the years. You know how some really, really rich people can get. I know it might sound weird coming from someone who's part of the ORC but some people really need to take a step back and realise that you don't have to make sure you're not walking on any cracks in the pavement. Or better yet: some people just need to get outside, right now they might be scared because of their horoscope implying something bad might happen.

Well, the people at the top with only power, money, time and nothing much else to do loves to get wrapped up in this sort of stuff." He led Naruto to a nice couch and the two sat down.

Cookies were on a table in front of them, and he was offered to take freely but not too many because apparently the Occult Research Club had someone with a serious sweet tooth. Said person also had a temper when people took her sweets.

Kiba seemed like a decent man, though not that studious. It was strange why he'd be in a club studying the occult. Maybe there was more to him one would think—it was clear that he had some form of combat training, after all.

"Kiba!" It was a woman yelling from outside the house, clearly not one of his regular fangirls based on his reaction. Naruto could also hear the distress in her voice, had something happened?

"Kiba! Hurry up, we need you! Now!"

"I'm sorry Naruto, as you can hear a friend needs me!" He hurriedly stood up and asked for Naruto to either wait for Issei in the house or please lock if he leaves.

He ran out the door, towards the white-haired girl. Naruto sat still for a moment, then with a sigh, followed them.

* * *

"_What news from the West, O wandering wind, do you bring to me tonight?_

_Have you seen the Chosen One by moon or by starlight?_

'_I saw him flee responsibilities until what once was pure is now grey,_

_I saw him walk in empty lands until he passed away.'"_

Shadowing Kiba and the petite girl was child's play. They were blissfully unaware of their surroundings. This might be due to how fast they were moving, not that many humans could move at this speed for this long. Maybe there were more sacred gears at this school, maybe even more Longinus. It was said to be a hotspot for magical activity, after all.

The duo continued their run towards an old church, an abandoned old thing that would have been demolished if not for a few locals protesting. He started to get a bad feeling about the situation. If whatever bad was going on, was going on in a church… it's possible that it was of supernatural origin.

Steeling himself, as he had done thousands upon thousands of times before, he entered the church. He was assaulted with the smell of blood and decaying flesh.

Demonic power rippled against his body. It was nothing like the demons of old, but the corrosive power was considerable. The hatred and pride of demons gave them amazing prowess but stole away the things he valued most: selflessness, the ability to protect the ones you love even at the cost of your own life. Ultimately, demons were selfish beings.

His eyes scanned the room, he was now fully prepared for battle. Whatever demon was in this church would not leave here with its unholy life. He felt rage searing through his breast as he thought about his lost children, the ones Lucifer stole away when they were vulnerable. When they were sent down to Earth. He could never get there in time to save them and kill the bastard.

The doors slammed open upon his arrival, he was now the focus of the spider-woman.

"Naruto! You need to get out of here, this monster is really strong and could actually kill you!" Kiba was a good man but he did not know Naruto.

Naruto took a step forward. This was not a child of his, whatever blood of the original angel Lucifer had corrupted was long gone.

Issei was in the crowd, clearly exhausted. He had obviously fought valiantly to protect the women with him. Maybe there was more to his obsession with women than mere perversion. The Godslayer picked up a rock, "Naruto, you don't know what you're dealing with! Okay?! This thing is crazy. I know you're strange but this thing is stronger than you, so run before you're killed!" He threw the rock in the spider's general direction and managed to land a hit on its body, though the spider did not really notice it.

Naruto took another step forward. These children had been fighting a demon by themselves. Issei was potentially one of the saviours of the world and he could have died in this hovel at the… hands… of this lowly demon. He narrowed his eyes.

Disappearing from the eyes of those in attendance, he appeared in front of the spider-lady, fist extended in a punch. In the instant the followed she had a head-sized hole blown through her human chest. Needless to say, she collapsed, dead.

The group of humans around him, some exhausted, others outright defeated, and two had just arrived, looked at him stunned. Clearly he was more powerful than they thought. A red-haired girl pulled herself together first, followed shortly by her black-haired female friend.

"Although we could have handled it on our own, I thank you for the help. I am Rias Gremory," she flicked some errant strands of red hair out of her face, clearly drawing the attention of Issei. Naruto nearly sighed at how hopeless the boy was. "Tell me, what is your name? And what are you? Regular men do not have abilities like that."

The blond man in the white robes looked around the room with this strange eyes. They were unlike anything she'd ever seen, hard to describe but definitely beautiful. And terrifying in their depth. The longer you looked into them, the more you saw: the sky above, planets, stars, galaxies… the universe. It made her head spin, so she looked away.

A deep frown settled on his face. The demonic presence was still here. Due to him not having his powers, he was unable to sense properly, but he could feel the demonic energy pulsing against his skin, like acidic flame.

"I might have an offer for you. It might sound crazy but it could mean that you will get to live a far better life. You have some power, right? Why not use it in some way. If you swear fealty to me then I will take care of you," Rias offered with a gentle smile. "You can ask anyone here. They are all part of my little 'group', if you will. It's conditional servitude, you can ask for something in return and… -" She grew silent when she realised he had stopped listening.

"... So, you are all demons, then."


	4. Chapter 4: Crouching Demon, Hidden Angel

Demons. If there was one thing he truly hated, it would be them. They had corrupted and destroyed the perfect world he had built with his children. Lucifer, father of demons, mighty among the angels, had wished to create and lead beings of his own. To become a god in his own right and leave his Father's side. This ambition lead him to madness and evil.

One thing never changed throughout his time as an exile from Heaven: whenever he met a demon he killed it. Whether it be a sentient human-looking one or raving, blood-starved beast like the one he just killed. Their souls all held the same evil, it didn't matter what they said or how they looked.

"Us, demons? No, well, we do have some drops of demonic blood I guess but there haven't been any real demons in ages. Only the first inhabitants of Hell were called demons, all the others called themselves devils, I'm quite sure," she kept smiling at him. It was a nice smile and it would have fooled most, but not him. He could see the twisted ambition that lies beneath, she was after something. He could see the hunger in her eyes - it was sickening.

Devils, formerly named demons, who adored Lucifer to the point of adopting the title given to him in hatred and disgust. Although Naruto hated Demons the most, Devils came in at a close second. He narrowed his eyes at the group.

"... I understand. You are a group of devils," he turned his gaze to Issei. "Does that include you? Have you been corrupted as well? Are you one of them now?"

Issei raised his brows in surprise, though the action seemed to take considerable effort due to his exhaustion. This had most likely been his first time using the Longinus in battle, after all.

"Uh, yeah. I mean, Rias saved my life after this crazy fallen angel attacked me."

His heart clenched painfully at the mention of a fallen angel. Many of his children had taken the news of his apparent death… very poorly. Others fell after many years, unable to resist temptation or unable to care anymore. The Archangels did their best but they were missing some of their core members. Among them was Ramiel, Archangel of Hope, something Heaven was sorely lacking right now.

"As I told you before, you could potentially be very important for the future safety of all the worlds: Heaven, Earth and Hell. To realise this you will have to leave your group of devils and come with me," Naruto motioned towards the door, expecting Issei to follow.

Issei furrowed his brows and frowned, "Look, man. I'm not sure what kind of ideas you have in that head of yours but I'm not interested. Rias gave me a far better deal than your shitty 'you might help the world one day', so go away!"

Naruto took a step forward and gestured widely with his arms, "Even if your opportunity to save the world is not a sure thing, is it not a greater purpose than merely living as you otherwise would? It is true that you are not the linchpin on which the whole thing depends but what if it all does come down to you? What if the opportunity does arise and you are not there to take it? Would it not be worth sacrificing everything else, just for that one moment?"

Issei scoffed, "Why don't you just get it through that thick skull of yours, old man. Rias promised me my hearts desire. Once I become a Devil with high enough status I will have so many girls I won't know what to do with them all!" His expression turned lecherous toward the end of his little speech, then serious as he continued, "I care about that a hell of a lot more than I do the world."

Naruto's eyes widened. Had the System failed him? No, he made it himself after all. Only those with pure and strong souls should be gifted the Sacred Gears. What had happened here? Maybe there was something he could uncover at a later date. It would be best to leave them all alive, lest Issei became truly corrupted by evil.

"I won't let you take away Issei!" The red-haired one stated very firmly, as if she thought her voice carried some kind of authority.

Looking over at her, he said, "I must admit it was my plan to take Issei and leave this place." Her eyes hardened, the group seemed to get ready for a fight. They did not want to lose their Longinus, huh. "But, seeing him now as a Devil and… unlike the man I thought he was. I think I will leave him with you, for now." He turned around, preparing to walk out of the church turned battlefield.

"You best leave Issei alone forever, or else!" What was her name again… Rias? She was the one Issei had been talking about.

His already short list of reasons for keeping these demons alive was being eroded away by every noise they made.

He stopped and tensed, then let out a sigh. "... Or what?" He turned to meet the girl once more, though he knew this was a bad idea. He was upset, he had lost a great asset and even worse, he'd lost him to the demons. Now they were taunting him.

She smirked in a way so foul that only a demon could pull it off. Her entire aura reeked of arrogance and pride - again, it was sickening. "As the heiress to house Gremory, one of the 72 pillars of Hell, I wield a lot of power. I could have this church swarmed with High-Class devils so fast your head will spin. Or I could use political power to exile you from wherever you live." She flicked some hair out of her face then struck a pose, pointing a finger at Naruto. "Nobody messes with House Gremory! And even fewer messes with my peerage!"

Summon demons to punish and kill him? Not to mention the very idea of using politics to harm him… it was all beyond laughable. He actually cracked a smile and chuckled a little as he said, "Listen, girl. Your threats are meaningless before someone like me. I don't care if you are related to Lucifer himself, whatever power you have deluded yourself into thinking you have does not exist."

Her disgusting smirk just grew, "Not even if I'm related to Lucifer himself, you say? Well, are you sure about that? What if I am the younger sister to one Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly Sizechs Gremory, the current leader of Hell?"

Naruto's entire aura changed at that point. It was as if the previous, white-robed, kind saviour had disappeared. In his place stood a warrior with his blade at their throats, facing them, ready to destroy.

"... Answer my question, demon. If you do not answer truthfully I will kill all of you." His cold words cut through the battered and exhausted group like a knife. "Why did you turn Issei into one of you?"

Issei was nearby, she remembered. She was about to say that she had come across him dying and he wanted to continue living, even if it meant giving up his humanity. Issei had told her he did not remember much from that night anyway and telling the truth to this stranger… seemed like a bad idea.

Her mouth opened. Her vocal cords began vibrating with the intention of speaking, she was going to say it. "_urghk-..._" Her eyes shot open as she stumbled.

"Rias!" Someone yelled. It sounded like a woman, maybe Akeno. She could not be sure, everything was spinning.

"I will give you another chance, demon. I know telling the truth does not come easy for your kind but I know your own survival will always trump your schemes. You are all cowards before someone stronger." Naruto said, letting his aura, his killing intent, diminish.

After taking a few shaky breaths to compose herself, Rias once more looked at the man before her. He was staring her down, it looked like he was hoping she was going to repeat her mistake just to give him an excuse. Just so he could kill them. He looked surprisingly, or rather terrifyingly, confident that he could.

"Yes… I understand," she coughed. "I'm in an… unfortunate situation and need his help. It happened that he was dying and I was able to get there in time to turn him."

"Why were you able to get there in time? Were you nearby or were you keeping an eye on him?"

"I-…" She glanced at Issei, "I had been waiting for a good time to recruit him, yes."

Naruto scoffed, "There you go, Issei. That is what you abandoned your humanity for. The depravity, the manipulations and most of all the greed of the demons will now be yours as well. You, who could have risen above other Men and become a Hero among Heroes, will now serve evil as her slave." Finally, he turned and walked towards the exit. This time, nothing stopped him.

"I wish I could say that I hope you do not come to regret your decision, Issei, but I have no sympathy for demons."

* * *

He was back on square one. No, it was worse than that, he had wasted time. The person he had been placing some time and hope in had been a waste of time. Now he's a demon. Every second the enemy draws nearer without Naruto having found a champion.

Maybe his standards are too high. Maybe, instead of looking for a Hero, he should look for the ones with great heart but no amazing power. True power is not something one is born with, it is not a blessing or weapon, it is the will to push yourself beyond your limits for the sake of what you love. He knew better than most that even those without any real talent could become truly amazing if given proper guidance and motivation.

He thought back to the Old World, he thought of the faces he could still remember. It had been so long. No matter how powerful he became he could not bring them back nor turn back the clock. Those two aspects of reality are simply absolute and unchangeable by external forces.

No man can make that which is dead return to life, the soul is already gone. No man can travel to the past, it has already happened. It is beyond what even Naruto can do.

He only remembered a few names. Kakashi, Sasuke, Sakura. His team. Konoha, his village. Jiraiya, his teacher. And Kurama. He frowned. Kurama... He increased his pace. Kurama was a name he would never forget. No matter what.

He could remember a green-clad young man training harder than anyone else. He was born weak but become very strong. He was the sort of guy he was looking for.

He kept walking until he once more came across civilisation, it didn't take long considering the speed of one such as himself could move. It was a small rural village and he decided to stay the night. Maybe he'd be able to find something interesting here.

The sun was still high in the sky when he arrived. He felt like mingling with the men and women of the village and so walked around it for a bit, looking for a place to have dinner.

The village was true to his initial observation. There was not anything special about it, which was perfect for his needs. They had one restaurant and one hotel. The restaurant was more like a booth and the hotel was just big enough for a handful of rooms, but it would most certainly do.

"Hello sir, if you're hungry you've come to the right place!" A middle-aged man pointed to the menu above him. "What can I get ya?"

Naruto took a look at the menu, they didn't serve anything fancy. _Chef's recommendation: Chicken and rice_.

"I will have the chef's recommendation, please." He said, a bit displeased they did not serve his favorite food. He could have used some of those noodles today.

The man grinned and threw a towel over his right shoulder, "one chicken and rice, coming right up!" The chef retreated into the back of the booth to prepare the meal, leaving Naruto alone.

A familiar voice spoke up from behind him, "Man, you sure are fast! It took me a while to catch up. Though I am known to be a bit of a slacker." A familiar laugh sounded.

"I don't know what you have against devils… or how you know of their old name: demon." He took the seat next to him, facing forward. "But let me tell ya, heh. Those kids are actually alright. The brown-haired one is even a pervert!"

The newcomer looked to Naruto with a smile. As soon as he laid eyes on him they widened to ridiculous proportions, his mouth went fully slack and it felt like the inside dried up like a desert.

_Wait..._

There, sitting before him, dressed in a traditional white robe, was none other than The Dead God. Or, as some had been hoping for so long, The Missing God.

_What the hell is going on..._

There had of course been many impostors, thousands upon thousands of mortals tried their hand at naming themselves God. But that title was reserved for one being, only. They were quickly found out and, eventually, were not looked into any more.

_This is..._

This man was however clearly no mere mortal. He shared the same eyes as those of the true divine once had. It felt like you could see the entire Universe when looking into them, as that is what He saw. No other being had eyes like those.

If his eyes weren't enough proof then his aura convinced him. The way he sat, the way he moved. This man had clearly lived longer than mankind, than the air he breathed, than the water he drank and the dirt upon which he walked.

Only Michael, the first living being created, had even started to develop such an aura. And Michael was regarded as an old man even among the Angels. There had been a considerable gap between the creation of the first angel and the second. Michael was widely known as the oldest angel, and was sometimes even refrered to as 'old man'.

"D-dad?!" He yelped as he fell out of his chair.

The final piece of proof, though, came from the mouth of the man himself.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, "Azazel?!"

The two stared at each other for a while before Azazel stood up. "Father! Why are you here?! Are you alright?! Where-... Where have you been?" He suddenly grew very conscious of his raven wings. The sign of his betrayal.

Naruto's face shifted into something mournful, longing, "Azazel. There are things in this world that are hidden, even from me. There is a great foe out there, amassing power even as we speak. He has invaded at least once. I am sure he plans to do it again."

"So you've been off fighting him somewhere? But you've been away for so long?"

"Forgive me for speaking in riddles but I have and I haven't." Naruto answered.

"Could you explain, I don't understand. Who is this enemy and why did you have to leave? We all would have fought with you!"

"Azazel, none of your brothers or sisters are as clever as you, now listen to what I will say. I was not gone because I was actively fighting the enemy, I had managed to defeat their leader by sealing him in the Moon."

"As expected of Father, well done-" Azazel was about to praise before he was interrupted.

"-It came at a heavy cost, however. I had to seal him away along with all of my divine powers. They keep on powering the seal. If I ever retrieve my powers, the seal will break and the enemy will escape."

Azazel could only gape. His Father, the most powerful being there is had not just sealed away his power, such a thing was believable since he'd been believing he was dead up until now. He had also met someone as strong as himself. Said enemy sleeps in the Moon, that's a scary thought.

"But Father… I still don't understand, why were you gone so long?"

"I had to stay on the Moon. I had to make sure he would not escape. Under no circumstances would I allow such a thing, even if it meant isolating myself completely from all other life for… a long time." He closed his eyes as he thought of the loneliness on the surface of the damned Moon. "You see, in the beginning, he refused to give in and rest. He would fight against the seal as hard as he could. I was unsure if it would hold. I had to stay nearby and be on guard to fix anything that might break. Of course, nothing ever did. Even today, I still check up on the seal every now and then, using my powers."

"And now you're here. In this little village. Because you have some kind of plan, I assume?"

Naruto smiled at his son with the hidden black wings, "Yes, you could say that. Will you help me?"

With teary eyes and a shaky smile he laughed, "Yes, Father!"

The grin he received in return was great but the hug was truly as if he was blessed by God.

"It has been a long time. It is good to see you, my son."

"Yeah, it sure has. It's good to see you too, Father."

* * *

It was night out. You could barely see your hand in front of you, the stars weren't shining and the moon seemed to have disappeared behind fog. Two men alone in the forest had no trouble seeing, however, as their world was lit by magical seals, cast by the former Archangel Azazel. Seals to anchor their position, so they could teleport back here in the future. Though he did not see the point in doing so, his Father insisted. He did not see what was so special about this village and when he asked his Father he merely replied with "Nothing. There's nothing special about this village, Azazel. That's why it's perfect."

He did not understand. But how could he expect to fully grasp to magnificence of his Father's, the Creator's, plans?

He laid down magical seals of light, so he would stand a chance at getting anything at all done.

He laid down magical seals of silence, so potential enemies would not overhear them.

All the while, his Father stood over his shoulder and watched him work. Like when he was younger, when Father would teach him how to draw magical seals. "You know, I am not a child anymore, Father. I have done a few of these over the years..." He said with a warm smile.

Naruto chuckled, "I just can't help myself."

Naruto watched Azazel stand up and pat his clothes to get rid of some dust before turning to him.

"You know that I am a Fallen Angel, right?"

"I noticed, yes."

"... And are you angr-"

Those eyes bored into him with such intensity that Azazel nearly fell on his ass, "Tell me Azazel, my son. Do you hate your brothers and sisters? Do you hate Heaven? Do you hate Mankind?" He paused. "Do you hate me?"

Azazel's froze yet again. This was becoming too much for one day. "N-no! I love My brothers and sisters! I love Heaven, the home we all built together! I love Mankind, they are like our children! And I love you, the one who gave life to us all, who raised us all, who loved us all, the one who started everything!"

"Then what do you have to fear, Azazel? You are no Lucifer!" The sheer determination with which those words had sounded really shook Azazel. Every Fallen had compared their betrayal to Lucifer's at some point. To hear the ultimate being say they are not the same was... relieving, to say the least. Redeeming.

Naruto stood tall, his back was straight and he seemed to exude a kingly aura as he spoke. "Listen well, Azazel. I will get back to Heaven, one day. I will sit with my children again and the world will be like it once was. When that day comes your wings will no longer be black. I made your wings, I can sure as hell change their colour." His Father clearly believed that his powers being sealed away was no obstacle in this quest. Or he had some other plan. Or... maybe he was powerful even without his magical powers.

Azazel laughed as his tears fell, eons of carrying the greatest of burdens leaving him. His Father wasn't disappointed in him, he wasn't angry with him. Fallen Angels weren't like Lucifer just because they had Fallen. When Father sits upon his throne again he will make everything alright!

For Father to reclaim his throne he'd ideally need his powers. But if he retrieves them the powerful enemy, whose name he still doesn't know, will break out. Maybe there was some way to retrieve his powers and keep the enemy sealed, replace Father's power with some other source? _Hm, but what could replace Father's full divine Might?_

His intelligent mind was working overtime, he knew that when it came to power Father was beyond every other being. Nothing in this dimension even came close. Only rumours of the Infinite Dragon and the True Dragon, but not even he knew much about their power. They appeared sometime, in the gap between the different dimensions Father had created. They kept to themselves and Father told the Angels not to disturb them, it was a rule that was never broken.

Even years after Father's apparent death he had continued to follow his rules. There was always some manner of wisdom behind what he said, even though none other could see it. It was often best just to do as he said.

If the two dragons prove to be powerful... they could put their power into the moon, thereby freeing Father! He gasped.

"Father, I have an idea. The two great dragons in the dimensional gap may have the power necessary to power the moon. We could replace your power with theirs!"

Naruto look to Azazel for a moment then rasied his eyebrows in surprise, "Yes, Azazel, they might. That was a very good idea. Those two dragons are quite powerful, actually. We just need to convince them to part with their power." He chuckled a bit. "I jest but it is a good idea."

The Fallen Angel grinned from ear to ear, "before we start gathering people for the upcoming battle, there's some people I know would really like to meet you."

"People who would like to meet me? I hope we are of the same mind, Azazel."

"I am sure we are, Father. They have been waiting for a long time."

* * *

**A half-chapter, kinda. Just felt like getting this one over with. Not really happy with it but wanted to get on with the story. Next chapter we'll be done with the introductions and can sink our teeth into the real stuff. Hope you've enjoyed.**

**I've had 'a lot' of complaints regarding chapter 2. More specifically Issei's role in this fic. It was never my intention to have Naruto as a "Background-character" guiding Issei. I hope this chapter makes that 'very' clear. I already have the ending for this shitty story planned and this chapter was vital. Bye losers.**

**P.S Really tryharded by extending this chapter by around 2k to get to 20k in total on the fic. So if scenes seem drawn out, yeah they are.**


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